Michael Lissack
Washout gaps require reconstruction bridges that establish new foun- dations: “After losing patent protection, we refocused on service quality and customer relationships rather than product exclusivity.” Problematic gaps need realignment bridges that transform con- straints into opportunities: “We reframed regulatory compliance as an opportunity to strengthen our data governance capabilities, which ulti- mately enhanced customer trust.” The bridge metaphor provides several valuable insights for organiza- tional leadership: 1. Bridges are constructed, not discovered : They represent cre- ative responses to challenges, not pre-existing solutions waiting to be found. 2. Bridge construction requires resources : Organizations need time, expertise, and material resources to build adequate bridges across significant gaps. 3. Bridges vary in durability : Some bridges provide temporary passage while others create permanent infrastructure for ongoing movement. 4. Bridge design matters : A poorly designed bridge might get you across a gap but create new problems in the process. 5. Bridges can benefit multiple travelers : Once constructed, bridges can help others navigate similar gaps. Organizations that excel at bridge-building typically develop systematic approaches to identifying gaps and constructing appropriate bridges. They maintain “bridge-building resources”—flexible capital, diverse expertise, experimental mindsets—that can be rapidly deployed when gaps appear. The research institute SRI International provides a striking example of institutionalized bridge-building. When developing speech recognition technology in the 1990s, SRI encountered a significant gap between lab- oratory capabilities and real-world applications. The technology worked in controlled environments but failed under normal usage conditions.
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